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The Swinging Palace: Hindola Mahal in Mandu

Hindola Mahal is one of the beautiful structures in Mandu Fort.

By Akshatha Vinayak

It is evident that the Sultans had a gala time ruling some parts of India. Exotic architectures and many historical records depict their era with interesting tales. The story of Hindola Mahal in Mandu Fort Complex is definitely fascinating. The idea of Durbar Hall or a Meeting Hall in the Indian palaces paints a vivid picture. Large halls with exorbitant interior designs come to our mind.

Hindola Mahal in Mandu

Exterior View of Hindola Mahal
PC: Yashavu Nagda

Ofcourse, in some preserved palaces of India, we can see the grandeur of Durbar halls. However, the Hindola Mahal has become a mere architecture with nothing much to display inside. Yes, the Hindola Mahal served as a Durbar Hall (Royal Court) during the time of Giyas-al-Din Sultan.

Today, the Hindola Mahal remains one of the beautiful attractions in Mandu Fort. Hindola Mahal, also called as the Swinging Palace, portrays the Malwa-Sultanate Architecture.

Hindola Mahal in Mandu

Exterior View of Hindola Mahal
PC: Inkethab0731

Architecture of Hindola Mahal

Hindola Mahal is a vast hall with a basic design of 'T' shape. One main attraction is the arches are constructed inside the hall. These large arches give a unique design for Hindola Mahal. The 'T' shape of Hindola Mahal indicates that it was built to accommodate a large number of audience facing towards one main horizontal hall. May be it was used for court sessions or even cultural programmes.

Hindola Mahal in Mandu

Interior View
PC: Sashidharan

Some elements of Hindola Mahal also indicates the influence of Mughul architectures. However, the Hindola Mahal is one of the prominent attractions in Mandu Palace Complex.

Other Attractions in Mandu Fort

Mandu Fort in Mandu or Mandavgadh served as the royal residence of Sultans of the 15th century. So, it comprises of various buildings which are a part of this palace. The whole fort is one of the beautiful tourist places in Madhya Pradesh.

Visitors can explore Baz Bahadur's Palace, Roopmati's Pavilion, Jahaz Mahal, Jami Masjid, Rewa Kund, Shri Mandavagadh Theerth, Hoshang Shah's Tomb and the massive Darwaza's (doors) along with Hindola Mahal.

Hindola Mahal in Mandu

Jahaz Mahal
PC: Bernard Gagnon

Each of these buildings have distinctive elements which are worth exploring. In fact, they also have some interesting history behind the construction of each castle. No doubt, Hindola Mahal is on par with all the finest architectures of that period. Some parts of the hall have vanished over time but the over all structure remains intact. So, a walk inside this Durbar Hall will definitely amaze the visitors.

How to Reach Mandu

Mandu is around 95km from Indore and 40km from Dhar in Madhya Pradesh. It is accessible by road and train.

Click- To Know How to Reach Mandu

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